The question may seem simple: what motivates you to get out of bed each day? For many, the answer comes easily – whether it be family and friends, career or education, or simply just a good ol’ cup of hot coffee. For some – often those managing mental illness or addiction – the answer isn’t […]

Put yourself in two scenarios: Scenario 1: You are with a large provider agency that spent the last 18 months implementing an electronic record system across 11 sites and three service lines. You just received a Medicaid notice stating that, effective July 1 of this year, your agency will be under a performance-based payment model […]

Risk management is the culture, processes and structures that help us recognize and understand the potential for adverse effects. As the quality of risk management improves, so does the quality of patient safety and care.

Here’s a question every soon-to-be Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) should be asking itself: “Who is going to lead as our organization adapts to new ways of doing business?” CCBHC implementation is an all-hands-on-deck moment for any organization. Your CEO’s vision will guide the way for growth and opportunity within your organization. Your board […]

Improving the quality of life for justice-involved individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders (SUD) can start with something as small as a simple conversation. Two organizations in Hennepin County, Minnesota — Hennepin County Community Services (HCCS) and RESOURCE Chemical and Mental Health — can attest to this strategy. As participants in the […]

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) are poised to revolutionize behavioral health care and strengthen services for those who most need them. Organizations are preparing to meet CCBHC requirements in the areas of finance, service delivery and partner collaboration. CCBHCs aren’t business as usual. They’re a new provider type in Medicaid— organizations defined not just […]

This post is adapted from comments shared at the Atlantic Summit on Mental Health and Addiction held on April 12 in Washington, DC. View a full summary of the event, including video of the event, here. I want to tell you the story of two mothers. Susan has a 13 year old son. She started noticing […]

Alcohol is the most widely used and abused substance in the United States. We are used to having wine at the dinner table, toasting special occasions with champagne, relaxing with a beer and bringing out the hard liquor for parties. Many people are able to consume alcohol in ways that pose little risk to themselves […]

Sr. Director, Creative & Strategy, National Council for Behavioral Health

Denver’s Northeast Park Hill is a proud neighborhood filled with strong people. Built in the 1950s, Dahlia Square was the largest African-American-owned shopping center in the U.S. with a thriving grocery store, roller-skating rink, bowling alley and a full array of local businesses. But times changed and gradually the once popular neighborhood nucleus became an […]